POST IT NOTES
**Wai and I want to thank everyone that participated in our fundraiser for the Sunnybrook Foundation and the New York Community Trust. We raised approximately $1,700 (U.S) through last Thursday’s Café Grande Hangout and the online orders for the special shirts we put out and have made the donations to both foundations.
**If you missed it, Wai Ting has a fantastic deconstruction of the Firefly Funhouse on the site.
**Tonight, we will be releasing our interview with Jim Ross as he discusses his new book ‘Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond’, which is available now. We will discuss the process of this book and the emotional toll of the past three years since his wife Jan passed away tragically in March 2017, as well as decision to go to AEW last year, his complex relationship with Vince McMahon and where it stands today, as well as the ongoing pandemic and staying home during this crisis.
**Monday’s edition of Rewind-A-Raw features a review of last night’s taped show from the Performance Center, a match-heavy edition of Raw, a Drew McIntyre vs. Big Show match for the WWE title, the return of Nia Jax, and more. Plus, we discussed the new WWE 24 on Edge, discussed the latest from UFC president Dana White, and more.
**For members of the POST Wrestling Café, Wai Ting and I will be doing a review of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness tonight. We will review the seven-episode Netflix series and provide our thoughts on the major characters, themes, stories, portrayals, and conclusions to make out this crime series.
**Our own Andrew Thompson spoke with Ring of Honor’s Joe Hendry about signing with ROH, working with Kurt Angle, the success of Drew McIntyre, and lots more.
POST SCHEDULE
*Tonight: POST Review of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness
*Wednesday: POST Interview with Jim Ross
*Wednesday: Rewind-A-Dynamite with John & Wai
*Wednesday: upNXT with Braden Herrington & Davie Portman
*Thursday: Café Hangout – Live at 3 pm Eastern for Patrons
*Friday: Rewind-A-SmackDown (Patreon)
*Sunday: Thunderstruck with WH Park & guest Wai Ting (Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Samoa Joe, TNA Bound for Glory 2005)
WRESTLING NEWS
**Fightful Select has reported that WWE is preparing another big set of tapings beginning this Friday to cover several weeks of television for Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. We have been told at POST Wrestling through multiple sources that the tapings begin Friday at the Performance Center. One source added that NXT is expected to be taped at Full Sail University during this stretch of tapings.
**Tommy Dreamer spoke on Busted Open Radio revealing that Impact Wrestling is taping two months of television inside an empty arena will tape it over the course of three days. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the location is in Nashville, Tennessee. This follows a report from Mike Johnson at PWinsider.com that the company would be producing the Rebellion pay-per-view ‘in some form’. We did reach out to Anthem Sports for clarification on the status of the pay-per-view and will update this if we receive a response.
**For Ring of Honor, they have reverted to compilation shows of specific talent for their weekly syndicated show and have also released tons of classic matches on their YouTube channel. For me, the YouTube content has been a great commercial for what Honor Club could/should be as their library is a treasure trove regardless of production value in the early days. They have similar issues with music that was used during that era that would have to be edited around. The easiest way around that is simply a match-up board and right into the ring introductions with the entrances cut.
**MLW did get in one final taping on March 13th for the show in Tijuana, which they have not begun airing yet, so they’ll have weeks of new programming. The company is hopeful of five, if not six episodes out of the Tijuana tapings. There was one match that went long and could end up being a show unto itself.
**The NWA immediately suspended operations once the pandemic hit in the U.S. They went far-and-above by pulling a special edition of NWA Power that was designed to build up the Crockett Cup show on April 19th. They opted not to air the special because it would cause confusion promoting the pay-per-view that wasn’t happening. They were already winding down this latest cycle with the special and they have less pressure to churn out content with YouTube the primary distributor of their shows.
**Dark Side of the Ring focuses on the Brawl for All tonight at 10 pm Eastern on Vice TV and available on Crave in Canada. The episode that does focus a lot on the feud between Jim Cornette and Vince Russo with Russo positioned as the brainchild of the Brawl for All after hearing John Layfield mouthing off in the locker room and wanting to see him knocked out for real. The piece begs for some reaction from Layfield, who was obviously not part of this nor will anyone with WWE ties going to be on this series this season. Others they spoke with included Jim Ross, who was head of talent relations at the time and had to call these fights, Darren Drozdov, Bart Gunn, The Godfather, and Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch. We will be reviewing this episode later this week on Rewind-A-SmackDown.
**ESPN’s re-airing of WrestleMania 35 from last year averaged 421,000 viewers on Sunday afternoon. Unlike the prior two weekends, the re-airing didn’t air in prime time as compared to WrestleMania 30 that did 839,000 viewers two weekends ago, and WrestleMania 31 that did 720,000 last weekend.
**The WrestleMania kickoff show on FS 1 Sunday night averaged 112,000 viewers featuring Liv Morgan vs. Natalya.
**FS 1 will be airing four hours of WWE content tonight beginning at 8 pm Eastern. From 8-11 pm, they will air episodes of WWE 24 dedicated to WrestleMania 31, WrestleMania 33, and WrestleMania 34. At 11 pm, they will have a new episode of WWE Backstage.
**Corey Erdman has a feature for VICE on Joe Maldonado-Passage a.k.a. ‘Joe Exotic’ and his ties to professional wrestling through his promoting of NWA events in Texas and Oklahoma.
**Here are the matches for tonight’s edition of AEW Dark at 7 pm Eastern:
*Kip Sabian vs. Tony Donati
*QT Marshall vs. Lee Johnson
*Wardlow in action
**Below are the matches for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling at 8 pm Eastern on AXS TV, Fight Network in Canada, and Twitch:
*Josh Alexander & Ethan Page vs. Tessa Blanchard & Eddie Edwards for the Impact tag titles
*Madison Rayne vs. Jessicka Havok
*Chris Bey vs. Daga
*oVe vs. Tommy Dreamer & Rhino
**The NWA is hosting a watch-along tonight at 6:05 pm Eastern of old Houston Wrestling. Below is the description of the footage they will stream tonight:
This special presentation of Paul Boesch’s Houston Wrestling features legends of the National Wrestling Alliance like Andre The Giant, NWA Worlds Champion Harley Race who is holding the Ten Pounds of Gold, Superstar Billy Graham, Mil Mascaras, Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez and so many more. This video also features classic commercials from the era featuring Dusty Rhodes and others. Plus in action – Gino Hernandez & Superstar Billy Graham.
**AEW has announced Brodie Lee will have a match on Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite. Tony Schiavone and Chris Jericho will handle commentary for Wednesday’s show and below is the updated lineup:
*Cody vs. Shawn Spears in the quarter-finals of the TNT Championship tournament
*Hikaru Shida vs. Dr. Britt Baker
*Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa vs. Best Friends
*Lance Archer in action
*Brodie Lee in action
**The WWE stock closed at $35.93 on Tuesday.
**Arda Ocal at ESPN interviewed Charlotte Flair with reaction her match with Rhea Ripley, placing the same pressure on herself as if it was a stadium setting, and her favorite match at WrestleMania besides her own was Edge and Randy Orton.
**MLW has added a podcast with Dutch Mantell called University of Dutch with the latest show covering WrestleMania 36, The Undertaker, and Tiger King.
**AEW has released their ‘Road to TNT Championship’ preview:
MMA NEWS
**UFC president Dana White is moving full steam ahead with the promotion of weekly fight cards that he has outlined will take place from an undisclosed location in the United States, which White added will have a commission oversight. Additionally, White is the process of finalizing a deal to secure a private island where he would be able to fly international-based fighters that would be unable to get into the United States during this pandemic. White said they would be setting up shop at the U.S location and running shows there for the next two months along with the fights on the island. It was reported by Sherdog founder Jeff Sherwood that the UFC had reached a deal to stage their next four events in Lemoore, California at the Tachi Palace Casino, which is on tribal land and therefore, not under the jurisdiction of the California State Athletic Commission.
White spoke to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto:
Everybody is afraid to be first. Realistically, the only guy right now who isn’t afraid is me and Vince McMahon. I mean, Vince McMahon hasn’t skipped a beat but what he did was, he found solutions, he found ways, get rid of the crowd and I’m sure he’s doing everything in his power too to make sure that his guys are safe. Everybody else is afraid to be first, right now we need leadership, we need people that are going to go out and find solutions. Hiding inside your house is not the answer, I get it, we have to do it. We have followed everything the CDC has said but at what point do we get back to normal? You keep people in their houses for too long without entertainment, people are going to start losing their minds and we need to start figuring out solutions and that’s what we’re doing. We’re going to keep everyone safe and we’re going to pull this off.
When pressed by Okamoto about being overseen by a commission, he initially paused before stating they would. He added that their in-house doctor (Dr. Jeff Davidson) has been in contact with other doctors and will have health and safety measures and promises those involved will be safe. He did not give an answer regarding anyone specifically being tested for COVID-19, which would cause a storm itself if the limited tests available were being dispersed for a fight promotion to put on cards during this pandemic.
There is a level of frustration in seeing this type of reaction to what is happening in the world and why certain MMA and wrestling promotions believe they are above it all. If this mentality was adopted by other leagues and other companies that are losing untold revenue daily, this pandemic would be infinitely worse. There is a reason these extreme measures are being taken and it’s still not enough in certain parts.
From a personal standpoint, I’m indoors daily and get out once a day for a walk and my local businesses are virtually all shut down. There are people in the streets, a good number with masks, and active avoidance when people are walking too close. Yet, I come home and I’m watching enormous risk by fight promotions get fighters onto airplanes, unable to train sufficiently, cut weight, and then engage in fights in undisclosed locations while ignoring the clear messaging from the Government, state commissions, the Association of Ringside Physicians, and it’s like watching an alternate universe from the one I’m living in. In wrestling, there have been far more companies that have taken this seriously but the big two in North America did march forward. WWE is on its own for the time being as AEW has at least managed to bank episodes to ride this out for the short-term. However, I turn on Being the Elite and I’m seeing pro wrestling matches being staged and I cannot understand why this is happening. It’s time to start assessing why these drastic measures are being implemented as opposed to finding ways to circumvent them.
**The Association of Ringside Physicians has released a statement with their recommendation for combat sports events during this period:
The Association of Ringside Physicians has been actively following the recommendations of the CDC as well as other professional medical societies concerned with the spread of COVID-19, or novel coronavirus.
Sporting events across the world have been canceled in response to the increased risk of infection and transmission by participants, fans, officials, and support staff.
It is our recommendation that all combat sporting events be postponed until further notice. This includes any and all events, regardless of the number of people involved. Any combat sport taking place during this global pandemic places the athletes, officials, and anyone else involved in the event under unnecessary risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19. In addition, combat sports athletes often require medical attention after a fight, and we do not wish to see any additional strain on an already overwhelmed medical system.
We continue to monitor this ever-evolving situation, and our thoughts continue to be with those who have been and will be affected by this disease.
Our organization remains steadfast in our mission: to serve, protect, and educate all involved in combative sports.
**Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan is following the same strategy with the European-based promotion stating they will provide a platform for fighters to compete without audiences at a private location. Boylan has not indicated when this would begin but added he would ‘push the button when the time ready & the fighters are ready.’ The group has postponed upcoming events that were scheduled for April 18th in Birmingham, England and May 16th in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
*****
REWIND-A-RAW 4/6/20: “Drew Big for Just One Night”, WWE 24 Edge
John Pollock and Wai Ting review WWE Raw after WrestleMania 36 and WWE 24 Edge: The Second Mountain. Plus, UFC 249 goes on and Firefly Fun House discussion.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/07/rar-4-6-20-drew-big-for-just-one-night-wwe-24-edge/
*****
WRESTLEMANIA 36 NIGHT 2 POST SHOW
John Pollock & Wai Ting are back to review WWE WrestleMania 36 Night 2 featuring John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House match, Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, and Edge vs. Randy Orton.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/05/live-link-wrestlemania-36-night-2-post-show-1015pm-et/
*****
REWIND-A-SMACKDOWN 4/3/20: Strowman replaces Reigns, The Life and Crimes of New Jack
John Pollock and Wai Ting review the final Friday Night SmackDown before WrestleMania 36 featuring the announcement of Roman Reigns’ replacement. Plus, a review of Dark Side of the Ring: “The Life and Crimes of New Jack”.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/04/rewind-a-smackdown-4-3-20-strowman-replaces-reigns-new-jack-on-dsotr/
*****
THUNDERSTRUCK #24: Liger & Murahama vs. KENTA & Marufuji
WH Park and John Carroll from Voices of Wrestling’s Wrestling Omakase talk for the first time to review Jushin Liger & Takehiro Murahama vs. KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji in a match to determine the first-ever NOAH Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/04/thunderstruck-24-liger-murahama-vs-kenta-marufuji-7-16-03-w-john-carroll/
*****
WWE WrestleMania 36 Night 1 POST Show
John Pollock & Wai Ting review WWE WrestleMania 36 Night 1 featuring The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match main event that everyone is talking about. Plus, Goldberg defends the WWE Universal Championship against Braun Strowman.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/04/live-link-wrestlemania-36-night-1-post-show-1030pm-et/
*****
BWE Retro Edition: TWC International Showdown (2005)
Martin, Benno & Jamesie take a look back at The Wrestling Channel’s International Showdown 2005, one of the biggest wrestling events to take place in the UK during the 2000s featuring CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, and Mitsuharu Misawa.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/02/bwe-retro-edition-twc-international-showdown-2005/
*****
Café GRANDE Hangout: Live Charity Q&A with Special Guests
John Pollock and Wai Ting couldn’t do their live show in Tampa this year, but that won’t stop them from bringing it to your homes with the first-ever Café Grande Hangout.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/04/02/cafe-grande-hangout-live-charity-qa-with-special-guests-free-stream-at-2pm-et/
*****
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